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Li Yuan Takes the Throne

Neutral

The poem

Like the moon on the third or fourth night, still short,half absent, half present, and not yet whole;wait for the fine night of the fifteenthand everywhere is light, and everywhere is round.

Original: 譬若初三四五缺 / 半无半有未圆全 / 等待十五良宵夜 / 到处光明到处圆

The story

In 618 the Sui emperor Yang was killed by his own guards at Jiangdu. Li Yuan, commander at Taiyuan, took the throne and named the dynasty Tang. He reigned nine years and then passed the throne to his second son Li Shimin, under whom the great age began. The Tang came to its fullness by stages, as the moon does.

What it means

The image is the moon not yet full, and waiting is what makes the sign favourable. Yours is a question of progress: the thing has gone about a third of its distance, and looking incomplete is not the same as having failed. Keep to the old way and wait, as the moon does when it first appears; when it comes round to full there is nothing unlucky in it. Gather the experience you still need, and do not hurry to produce a result.

By area of life

Wealth

Keep to your principles. The present investment shows no profit yet, and the sign asks for patience rather than action.

Love

The season is not yet ripe. A match will come later, and waiting is much the wiser policy for the moment.

Work

There is a great deal of room still to grow. You are a third of the way up, with experience still to gather.

Health

The illness may worsen before it turns, so prepare for that. Natural methods and quiet cultivation suit this condition best.

Travel

The moment has not arrived and your own preparation is not yet complete. Postpone the journey for the present at least.

Advice

A crescent moon is not a bad moon; it simply is not the fifteenth yet.